“Esther,” said she, “I jest wanted to ask you if there wa'n't two of them old swell-front bureaus in the north chamber upstairs.”
“I guess there is,” replied Mrs. Field. She sat leaning forward toward her callers, with her face fairly strained into hospitable attention.
“Well, I wanted to know. I ain't come beggin', an' I'd 'nough sight rather have a good clean new one, but I'm kind of short of bureau drawers, an' I'd kind of like to have it because 'twas Thomas'. I wonder if you wouldn't jest as soon I'd have one of them bureaus?”
Mrs. Field's face gleamed suddenly. “You can have it jest as well as not,” said she.
“Well, there's another thing. I kind of hate to speak about it. Flora said I shouldn't; but I said I would, whether or no. I know you'd rather I would. There's a set of blue china dishes that Nancy, that's Thomas' wife, you know, always said Flora should have when she got done with them. Thomas, he never said anything about it after Nancy died. I didn't know but he might make mention of it in the will. But we all know how that was. I ain't findin' no fault, an' I ain't begrudgin' anything.”
“You can have the dishes jest as well as not,” returned Mrs. Field, eagerly.
“Well, I didn't know as you'd value them much. I s'posed you'd rather get some new ones. You can get real handsome ones now for ten dollars. Silsbee's got an elegant set in his window. Of course folks that can afford them would rather have them. But I s'pose Flora would think considerable of that old set because it belonged to her aunt Nancy. There's one or two other things I was thinkin' of, but it don't matter about those to-day. It's a beautiful day, ain't it?”
“What be they?” asked Mrs. Field. “If there's anything you want, you're welcome to it.”
Mrs. Maxwell glanced at her nephew. He was looking out of the window, with his forehead knitted and his lips compressed. Lois had just thought how cross he looked. “You ain't been out to see anything of the town, have you, Lois?” asked Mrs. Maxwell, sweetly.
Lois started. “No, ma'am,” she said, faintly.